


I'll Land Here Again

by yeahyouresocool



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuban Lance (Voltron), Family, Gen, Happy Birthday Lance (Voltron), Homesick Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, I made up some of his family ok, JuLance Challenge 2018, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Vignette, and cuba, cuban lance is canon, he also loves his voltron family, klance if you squint really hard, lance loves his family, so so much, varadero beach
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 20:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15469911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeahyouresocool/pseuds/yeahyouresocool
Summary: Home. Earth. Cuba.OrHe’s a boy from Cuba, and he’s going to do amazing things.OrVignettes about Lance, his family, and Varadero Beach.





	I'll Land Here Again

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LMarie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LMarie/gifts).



> This is written for one of my very good friends who loves Lance so much that she even has the same birthday as him. Apparently, she's the only thing important enough to make me write fic, considering that the last fic I wrote was uploaded on this same day last year as a birthday gift for her lol. Please follow her on tumblr @kaltenecker-stan, she's really great and I love her lots:)
> 
> Also, enormous, giant, HUGE thank you to tumblr user lancitocubano for answering my dozens of questions about Cuban laws, geography, and culture. This fic would not have been at all possible without you!
> 
> The vignette style of this fic was inspired by the book "The House On Mango Street," which remains one of my favorite books that I was forced to read in high school. Give it a read:)
> 
> Song title comes from the song "Get Home" by Bastille.
> 
> So, happy birthday Lena, happy birthday Lance, and enjoy! :)

**29 Years**

 

Lance’s sister Veronica once told him that Australia has 10,685 beaches, and that if you visited a new beach every day, it would take over 29 years to visit them all.

Lance is ten. 29 years is almost triple the amount of time that he’s been alive. He’s gotta make up for some lost time.

“If it takes that long, why would you only visit one beach everyday?” he asks. “When I grow up, I’m gonna go to twenty beaches everyday.”

Veronica laughs. “Really, now?”

“Yes, really,” Lance insists. “I’m gonna go everywhere.”

 

**Swimming**

 

Lance doesn't remember learning how to swim.

This makes sense, though. He's grown up with the waves, has known the taste of saltwater since before he could talk. To Lance, swimming comes more naturally than walking, and the warm rocking of the waves is as familiar as his name.

Lance doesn't remember learning all of these things, but he figures that no one learns how to eat or cry or feel, either. Those things are just part of you.

 

**Family**

 

Lance’s family is big, and he loves it dearly.

There’s Mamá, his rock, the most loving person he’s ever known. She’s never failed to pick him up when he’s down, to love him unconditionally and support him through everything. Lance is a mamá’s boy through and though, and he’s not ashamed of it.

There’s Papá, too, who has taught Lance that you can do anything that you put your mind to. He’s smart and funny, and Lance can sit and talk with him for hours, laughing and joking. Lance loves his papá, and looks up to him greatly.

There’s his oldest siblings, Marcus and Gabriela. They’re twins, ten years older than him, and are both kind, compassionate people. Gabriela is more outgoing, while Marcus is more reserved, but they balance each other out. They each have their own families, now, but they were there to change Lance’s diapers, to hear his first words, and even teach him how to surf. They come around the house as often as they can, and Lance always loves spending time with them.

Then there’s Veronica and Luis. They are closer in age to Lance, four and five years older than him, respectively, and Lance has always been closer to them. He finds that he can tell them anything, can lean on them for support and let them in on his deepest secrets. The bond that he has with them is unmatched by anyone else. He loves them both and doesn’t know what he would do without them.

The rest of his family consists of aunt and uncles, nieces and nephews, cousins and grandparents. All of these people have had some impact on his life, made him into who he is. 

These people are his family, and each member holds a different piece of his heart.

 

**Revelation**

 

The moon sits full in the sky, casting its pale light over Varadero.

Lance stares at the horizon, the unreachable edge of the world, and wonders how anyone ever thought that the earth was flat, because there's a dome of stars and sky stretching up and around him.

“So you're really doing it, huh?”

Lance turns around, and he knows the voice, even if he has to squint to make out his brother's features.

Luis sits down on the sand next to him, waiting for an answer. Lance doesn't even have to ask what he's talking about.

“They want me at the Garrison by the end of the summer. It's the only way I would be able to get a spot in the flight school.”

It's silent for a minute, a small breeze blowing through the palm trees and making a rustling sound that mixes with the sound of the waves. Lance turns to Luis.

“Do you think Mamá is really upset?”

“Yeah. Not about you going to the Garrison though,” Luis states. “About you not telling her.”

Lance sighs. “I know.”

He presses his hands into the sand, grasping to handfuls before letting the grains fall back to the beach between his fingers.

“It’s not like everyone knew,” Lance continues, because Luis is quiet. “The only person who knew about it was Veronica.”

Veronica, who drove him to take placement exams and helped him fill out his application and promised to keep Lance's Garrison dreams a secret.

“But why?” Luis asks. He's not hurt; he understands that it was nothing personal, that sometimes things just happen.

And they did. The only reason that Veronica knew is because an application page had fallen out of Lance's bag. She found it while cleaning her car.

“I…” Lance begins.

He stops, but Luis is patient, something Lance cherishes. It falls silent save for the waves crashing against the shore.

He knows why, but it's hard to talk about your biggest insecurities, even with someone who knows you so well.

“I didn't want to fail,” he blurts out. “I didn't want to tell all of you about the application and the tests and make everybody excited just to disappoint everyone in the end.”

He stops to catch his breath, having spoken so quickly that the words nearly tripped over each other. He feels Luis looking at him.

“Lance, you realize that that is complete bullshit, right?”

Lance looks at him. “What?”

“Of course you would get in,” Luis says. “You're one of the smartest people I know. That's bullshit.”

Lance isn't sure how to respond.

_You're one of the smartest people I know._

“I'm sorry I didn't tell you,” Lance says. “Now I'm about to leave, and I just sprung this on all of you…”

“I don't need an apology,” Luis states. “Save it for Mamá.”

He pushes himself up off of the sand, standing and dusting off the back of his pants with his hands.

“Let's go home, it's late.”

He reaches a hand out to Lance, and Lance nods, accepting the offer and pulling himself up off of the ground.

Before he walks away, he takes one more glance at the ocean, dark water rolling and churning, and then up to the stars and endless space, the white moon sitting big and bright and beautiful.

The water has always been a part of Lance, but the sky calls to him more and more each day.

 

**Goodbyes**

 

Lance hates goodbyes. They are sad and final, for when you don't know when, or if, you will ever see someone again.

He realized this when his abuelo died. He was sick, on his deathbed, and Lance's mamá brought Lance in to see him one last time.

“Are you going to go to heaven, Abuelo?” Lance asked. He was seven, old enough to understand death, but young enough to still ask questions.

“Yes, mijo,” his abuelo responded. “I will see you again. This isn't goodbye, this is see you later.”

His abuelo died the next morning, but his words stuck.

So when Lance arrives at the airport with nearly his whole family, he hugs each of them, tells them he loves them, and that he will see them all again soon. This is a big deal; he’s never been away from his family for more than a week at a time, and now he's leaving for months out of the country to live with people he's never met before and do things he's never done before. He knows he can do it, knows he can make it, but it's still a little overwhelming.

Right before he boards his plane, he turns around and says, “I'll see you all at the end of the semester, I love you!”

He steps onto the plane, ambition and luggage in tow.

Not a goodbye, but a see you later.

 

**Letters**

 

Lance writes letters to his family at least once a week.

There are those addressed to the whole family, with updates on how things are going, stories about his new friend Hunk, who bakes all sorts of stuff in the small kitchen on their floor of the Garrison dormitory. There's always a new smell, apple fritters or chocolate chip cookies, and he bakes so much that students have actually been making requests for different desserts. A few have even had their parents mail them family recipes for Hunk to make, just to be able to have a piece of home with them. Lance jokes that Mamá should send her flan recipe, but he knows that she would _never_ give up her recipe to someone outside of the family, let alone risk it getting lost in the post.

There are also letters addressed to his siblings, where he tells stories like how he and Hunk almost got caught sneaking out to the rooftop pool after curfew, and Hunk was so mad because this was Lance's idea, not his, and _oh my God I'm so claustrophobic,_  and he made sure to whisper-scream all of this at Lance while they stood in a custodial closet, hiding from the security guards that had been chasing them just minutes before. Lance figures that he shouldn't mention any of this in his letter to his parents; they're already worrying too much as it is, and he really doesn't need a lecture, even if it _is_ through a letter. But stories like this are what siblings are for, and he needs to make sure they know that their baby brother isn't _that_ lame.

There are letters addressed specifically to Luis and Veronica. He tells them about how scary and new everything is, that flight exams are coming up and how he's terrified that he won't do well. They only keep so many students after the exams, some for fighter class, some for cargo class, and the rest are sent home. Lance is terrified of that last one. Some of these kids have been taking Garrison preparatory courses for years before even coming to the Garrison, some have grown up with family members that are pilots and know the ins and outs of a cockpit and the basics of flying, and Lance has never experienced anything like that before. He's just a boy from Cuba.

When he gets a letter back, he’s told that it doesn't matter what those other kids have done.

_You're a boy from Cuba, and you're going to do amazing things._

 

**The First Time**

 

His sister calls him, and he stares at the screen for a long time, tears of frustration in his eyes.

International calls are expensive, but Veronica insisted on paying for it this time. This was important, and she wanted to know right away.

He sighs before answering the phone.

“Hello,” he says, and his voice cracks. He hopes that she didn't hear it.

“Lance!” Veronica says, and it sounds far away. “You're on speaker.” Oh, that's why.

He hears voices in the background, laughing children, and then Veronica is saying something, but not to him.

“Hey, be quiet, Lance is in the phone,” she scolds, and some of the excess noise stops.

“Who all is there?” Lance asks, defeated.

“Mamá, Papá, the kids, me… Luis is at work, so are Marcus and Gabriela.”

“Tio Lance!” he hears then, and it's the voice of a little boy. “It's me, Samuel!”

Lance feels his heart warm. “Hey Cookie, how are you?”

“Goooooood,” Samuel says, drawing out the word, and Lance can't help the sad smile that forms on his face.

“So Lance,” Veronica says. “How did the exam go?”

Lance feels his stomach twist. “Um,” he says. “Not great.”

His throat tightens, and he has to clench his jaw as he blinks away the stubborn tears in his eyes.

“What do you mean?” he hears, and it's his mamá, warm and worried.

He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know how to explain that the exam went terribly, that he aced the written test but failed the flight simulation, that Iverson lectured him in front of everyone, _everyone,_ and told him he was too cocky, too arrogant, with not much to show for it.

He doesn't really know how to tell them about how he's a disappointment without bursting into tears. So instead, he grits out, “I got one spot away from fighter class.”

“Oh, Lance,” Veronica says.

“Wait, what does that mean?” Mamá asks. “That's still good, isn't it?”

“I wanted fighter class,” Lance admits.

“So what do you do now?” That's Papá's voice, full of concern, and Lance wishes he could be there, wishes he was back in Varadero with all of these people who love him so dearly.

“I'm… gonna be a cargo pilot,” he says, and it feels so shameful, he’s surprised that he was even able to say it out loud.

“So you still get to fly!” His mamá says. “That's great! And a lot safer.”

“Yeah, I guess,” he says.

“Lance,” Veronica says, “I know it's not what you wanted, but it's still really cool. You're going to be able to travel the world and still get to fly. And you're at the most prestigious flight school in the world. Just the fact that you got in is freaking awesome.”

The weight in his chest is still there, but it lifts a little. “Yeah, I guess you're right. I better go though, you're paying for international.”

He smiles sadly at the flood of “I love you"s and “goodbyes" that come his way, and when he hangs up, he misses home more than ever.

 

**The Second Time**

 

He calls Veronica, and he can't stop smiling, giddy with excitement.

It starts ringing, and she might not answer, but Lance needs her to. This can't wait. This is too big for a letter that would take too long to get home.

Plus, Veronica would probably kill him if he waited that long to tell them.

On the fourth ring, she answers.

“Lance!” she says. “Is everything alright?”

“Everything is _more_ than alright, Veronica,” he says. “I'm a fighter pilot now!”

His grin widens even more as Veronica gasps.

“Oh my gosh, Lance! That's amazing!” she cries. “How?”

“One of the kids dropped out, and since I was top of the cargo pilot class, they moved me up.”

He feels like he should be embarrassed that he only got in after someone dropped out, but he's too excited to even care.

“Oh wow, Lance,” Veronica says. “That's really great, I'm so happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Lance smiles. “Tell everyone else. I gotta go now, love you.”

“I love you too Lance!”

He hangs up, grinning.

He's a boy from Cuba, and he's going to do amazing things.

 

**Had He Known**

 

He wishes that he knew that night he snuck out with Hunk that it would be the last time he stepped foot in the Garrison.

He wishes that he knew when he took off running to rescue Shiro that there was no turning back.

He wishes that he knew when he flew the blue lion through a wormhole, that he wouldn’t be seeing Earth again for a long time.

If he had known all of this, he still wouldn’t have turned back, but he might have done a few things differently.

 

**Blue**

 

It doesn't really hit him until a few days later, but it hits him hard.

And maybe it's just the nunvil talking, but a deep ache settles in Lance's chest.

“How far away from Earth do you think we are, Coran?” he asks, and finds himself not wanting to know the answer.

The longer it takes for Coran to show him, the heavier the ache gets, sinking deeper and deeper until it's in the pit of his stomach, and he could cry, he could really cry.

“The blue oceans, the white clouds, green grass… I- I can’t see any of it.”

What is his family thinking right now? What were they told happened to him? They probably think he's dead, or hurt. MIA. Worried sick.

“You miss Earth, I understand,” Coran says. “I miss Altea.”

“I know we’re supposed to be brave paladins and defenders of the universe, and whatever, but honestly? I just want to go home.”

There's no telling _when_ the team will go back to Earth.

There's no telling _if_ the team will go back to Earth.

 

**Family**

 

Pidge is smart, probably the smartest person that Lance has ever known. She’s witty and sarcastic, sometimes mean, but he knows she doesn’t mean it. She has more determination than he’s ever seen before, insisting that her family was alive, sneaking into the Garrison in disguise, and never stopping her search for her brother and father.

Hunk has been there longer than any of them. They met at the Garrison and instantly clicked, Hunk’s nervousness balancing with Lance’s confidence. They have so many memories together, and many more still to make. Hunk’s a genius; when him and Pidge talk about tech, Lance swears it’s a different language all together. And he’s so kind, determined to save the Balmera and all of its people.  

Allura is amazingly brave and compassionate, ready to lay down her life at any moment if it means saving somebody else. She’s a skilled leader and a quick learner, having been able to progress as a paladin faster than anyone else. She is someone to lean on, someone that will fight for you, and the heart of the team.

Shiro is someone that Lance has always looked up to. He’s incredibly brave, having been an openly gay man at the Garrison with no shame for who he is. He’s been through so much; alien abduction, losing an arm, losing memory of his experiences, and yet he still tries. He still wants to help people, still wants to save the universe. He is kind and compassionate, and even though he’s been different since they got him back, Lance understands who the real Shiro is underneath all the trauma.

Coran is intelligent, like a walking, talking search engine for all things alien. If they’re stuck in a situation, Coran always has a way to save the day. He loves each of the paladins like a father, and can always make a situation lighter and put things into perspective.

And then there’s Keith. At first, Lance couldn’t stand him, they were always fighting, always at each other’s throats. But lately… Well, lately, Lance has begun to see the real Keith, the Keith who always tries to do the right thing, who wants so badly to help people and create a better universe for everyone. His method may be off, but his heart is always in the right place.

Lance still misses his family back on Earth. There’s definitely no denying that. But maybe these people around him, the people he’s fighting this war with, the people that care enough to keep fighting, these people who he can lean on and trust to catch him if he falls…

Maybe these people, at least for now, can fill the family-sized hole in his heart.

 

**Promise**

 

“Are you seriously telling me that you've never been to the beach?”

Lance furrows his eyebrows at Keith. They're sitting in what Lance calls the common room of the castle, Lance's body sprawled out over one of the couches. Keith sits at the end near Lance's feet, arms crossed and body closed off from the world.

Everyone else in the castle is asleep or trying to, and Lance isn't sure how this happened, how him and Keith got to talking and couldn't stop, how Lance has told Keith more now in these few hours then he has since they met.

It's a nice change.

Keith shrugs. “I lived in a desert, then a foster home, then the Garrison, then the desert again,” Keith states. “I don't think Arizona has much to offer in the beach department.”

Lance looks at Keith, his rival, his team mate,the new black paladin and leader of Voltron.

_His friend._

Keith's eyes are as hard as the wall that he's built around himself, as foggy and unreadable as his past.

Half-Galra, lived in a house in the desert, lived in a foster home…

Lance is trying to put the puzzle of Keith's past together, but too many pieces are missing.

“Well,” Lance begins, and he takes a chance, stretching out and straightening his leg to where his feet and ankles are resting in Keith's lap. “When we get done with all of this universe-saving crap, you're coming with me back to Cuba, and I promise, we're going to the damn beach.”

It isn't a question or a request. Keith's tensed shoulders relax slightly, and he's blinking down at Lance's feet, but he doesn't make any move to push them off.

“Okay,” Keith says then, and the corners of his mouth turn up slightly. “Sounds like a plan.”

 

**Time**

 

Everything goes by so quickly.

Lance hasn’t had time to fully comprehend all that has happened. Pidge finding her family. Joining with Lotor, and then facing his betrayal. The other Alteans. Moving out of the Castle of Lions. He almost died, was _basically_ dead for a little bit, before Allura saved him.

It’s so much in so little time. He wonders if time is moving this quickly on Earth as well.

 

**Going Home**

 

“We’re going home.”

Lance’s heart skips a beat at those words.

Home. Earth. Cuba.

It may not be the same way that it was when they left it, but Lance has learned that everything works out in the end.

 

**29 Years**

 

Lance’s sister Veronica once told him that Australia has 10,685 beaches, and that if you visited a new beach every day, it would take over 29 years to visit them all.

Lance doesn't have 29 years to visit all of the beaches in Australia. He isn't even sure if, as a paladin, he has 29 years left at all.

But right now, he at least has _some_ time, _some_ time away from fighting and universe-saving, _some_ time to spend with his family and the warm sun on his back and the sand of Varadero Beach, _his beach,_ between his toes.

It isn't 29 years, but as he feels the breeze from the sea hit his face and hears words of Spanish dancing in the air around him, as he hugs his siblings and presses kisses to the forehead of each and every one of his nieces and nephews, as both of his families, Voltron and Earth, meet each other for the first time, and as he watches a tear roll down his mamá’s cheek before she pulls him into a warm embrace for the first time in God knows how long...

Well, it isn't 29 years. But it's enough.

**Author's Note:**

> After season 7 comes out, there may be a possible follow up, so stay tuned :)
> 
> Also find me on tumblr: adashi-stan.tumblr.com


End file.
